How Your Wallet Can Help You Lose Weight

Posted on March 11, 2013 by admin

Trying to lose weight? Money can be a serious motivator: People who receive financial incentives are more likely to stick to weight-loss programs and tend to drop more pounds than people who try to slim down without them, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.

The study followed 100 people between the ages of 18 to 63 over a one-year period. All of the participants had body mass indexes of 30 or higher, which is considered obese. They were given a goal of losing 4 pounds per month. Each participant was assigned to one of four different groups: two with financial incentives and two without.

Participants who met their monthly target goal got $ 20 each month, while those who didn’t had to cough up $ 20 that went into a pooled account. Participants in the incentive groups who completed the program were also entered into a lottery to win the pooled money.

Even though $ 20 a month isn’t a big payout, the groups’ results were drastically different. Sixty-two percent of the cash incentive groups completed the study, while just 26 percent of the other groups did. Those in the cash-driven groups also lost 9.08 pounds on average, compared to the other groups’ average weight loss of 2.34 pounds.

It wasn’t just participants getting money who were more likely to stick with the routine, either; those who paid cash penalties were also more likely to finish the program than those who received no financial incentive, according to the study.

“It’s human nature that we tend to make choices that provide immediate gratification,” says Steven Driver, MD, an internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic. “Financial incentives help by counteracting immediate rewards and promoting healthy behavior changes that we wish we would do more often.”

How can you use this news in your own life? Download GymPact, a free app that gives cash rewards for working out. You set how many days a week you’ll hit the gym and choose what you’re willing to pay if you don’t follow through (for example, you might sign up for five days a week, with $ 5 on the line each day). Every week, the money paid by non-exercisers who missed their workouts is divided and paid out to those who met their goals. You can’t cheat, either: GymPact keeps you honest by making you check into your gym via your smartphone each time you go.

For another option, visit HealthyWage, a website that gives you monetary rewards for your weight loss. You can join the site’s 10 Percent Challenge for a fee of $ 150, and if you lose at least 10 percent of your body weight over a six-month period, you’ll walk away with $ 300. Talk about a win-win!

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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How Twitter Can Help You Lose Weight

Posted on January 25, 2013 by admin

Did you wake up early for your new spin class? Tweet about it! A new study from the University of South Carolina shows using Twitter as a support network can help people shed extra pounds.

Researchers looked at 96 obese men and women over a period of six months. In the main trial, they were divided into two groups: those who received informational podcasts about weight loss, and those who received the podcasts plus mobile apps for Twitter and tracking their nutrition and exercise along with other group members. After six months, both groups saw a 2.7 percent reduction in weight. However, when researchers looked specifically within the mobile group to examine how Twitter may have helped participants battle the bulge, they saw that every 10 posts to the social-media site resulted in a -0.5 percent weight loss.

Or, to put it simply: “Those who were engaged with Twitter lost more weight,” says lead researcher Brie Turner-McGrievy, Ph.D. Which makes sense, if you think about it from a social perspective. A group-based approach to weight loss can be helpful—the group provides a support network, and also helps keep everyone a bit more honest and motivated. “We were interested in finding a way to provide that group social support online during our intervention,” Turner-McGrievy says. “We chose Twitter because we wanted people to feel free to post multiple, brief messages each day, and have the choice to be anonymous.”

You can try using an online social network to keep you accountable for your health goals, too—no need to be a social media guru. Turner-McGrievy suggests the following:

Pinpoint Bloggers
Look up others tracking their own fitness journeys, and follow along. “I suggest first to search for weight loss bloggers online who also have a Twitter account,” says Turner-McGrievy. “Start by following them and then see who their users are. Follow the users you find who are similar to you.”

Interact
Don’t just watch others talk health; dive in. “Start tweeting!” Turner-McGrievy says. “Twitter is an amazing way to connect with other people who are also attempting to start an exercise, healthy-eating and weight-loss program.” Interaction is key. You want to feel like you’re in it together with other users, not like you’re alone on an island.

Update Your Status
No need to worry about making tweets witty or particularly newsworthy, Turner-McGrievy insists. “The posts to Twitter were mostly in the form of status updates, so just telling people that you went to the gym or stuck to your calorie goals for the day was helpful,” she says. “The nice thing about Twitter is it’s expected that you will post multiple times per day, and you can be fairly anonymous… Our study participants liked having the ability to be anonymous and not have to worry about a friend knowing they were trying to lose weight.”

Try Facebook
While Twitter’s anonymity is certainly great if you want it, Facebook may also work, especially if you can join a weight-loss group or have real-life friends getting fit along with you. “In a current weight loss trial we are conducting among women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, we are using private Facebook groups and have had good success with those,” Turner-McGrievy says.

photo: Spike Mafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock

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How Twitter Can Help You Lose Weight

Posted on January 16, 2013 by admin

Did you wake up early for your new spin class? Tweet about it! A new study from the University of South Carolina shows using Twitter as a support network can help people shed extra pounds.

You can try using an online social network to keep you accountable for your health goals, too—no need to be a social media guru. Turner-McGrievy suggests the following:

photo: Spike Mafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock

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Could Expensive Junk Food Help You Lose Weight?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by admin

The next time you’re grocery shopping, ask yourself this: Would you still be tempted to buy that box of cookies if it cost ten bucks instead of just three? Scientists say probably not. The more expensive sugary sodas and junk foods are, the less likely people are to buy them, according to a new study in the journal PLOS Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Auckland and University of Otago analyzed data from 32 different studies examining pricing models and food consumption. They found that raising the price of sodas by 10 percent is associated with a 1 to 24 percent decrease in the consumption of soda. Likewise, a 1 percent price hike in foods with saturated fat is associated with a 0.02 percent decrease in consumption of those foods. And even more promising: Turns out, lowering the price of fruits and vegetables by 10 percent could result in a 2 to 8 percent increase in consumption of produce.

In short: If it’s affordable, people will buy it—regardless of whether it helps or hurts their health. That’s why food companies price large items at a discount—they know it’ll drive sales, says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Unfortunately, healthy options tend to be much more expensive than junky items. “The Department of Commerce says the indexed price of fresh fruits and vegetables has gone up by about 40 percent since 1980 whereas the indexed price of sodas has declined by about 15 percent,” Nestle says. “That’s a big incentive to buy sodas.”

The good news is that you don’t need to be a member of the 1 percent to maintain a nutritious diet. These five meals are hearty, full of nutrients, and will cost you less than $ 28 altogether. See all the recipes, including chicken lettuce cups and curried chicken couscous.

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5 Things You Should Do If You Lose Your Job

Posted on November 26, 2012 by admin

Job loss is hard enough as it is. But new research now shows that it can actually be dangerous. Unemployment has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack, according to an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers at Duke University conducted a large cohort study of 13,451 U.S. adults between ages 51 and 75 from 1992 to 2010. They looked at various factors associated with unemployment and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI, or heart attack), and found that AMI risk was highest in the first year of job loss, and also increased with each subsequent job loss up to four thereafter.

There may be a few reasons for the jump in cardiac problems. “Heart attacks are often preventable, so barriers to good healthcare put you at higher risk of heart attack,” says interventional cardiologist Sara Collins, MD. “Unemployment status may be associated with loss of insurance, and therefore, worse access to healthcare.” This means a reduction in heart attack-prevention practices, like medication, doctor visits and screening exams. Collins also says those who can no longer afford child or elderly care during unemployment may be reluctant to leave home to see a doc, ignoring signs of an impending heart attack.

An additional factor may be your anxiety level while dealing with the shock and strain of newfound unemployment. “The chemicals associated with stress, like acetylcholine, have been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks,” Collins says.

Since risk is highest during the first year after job loss, it helps to get back on the horse as quickly as possible. Here’s what to if you’re let go:

Overhaul your resume. Give your CV a makeover. On the resume, list just your credentials using strong action verbs like “completed” and “directed.” And then ditch the mission statement. “You can totally misfire with that,” says Austin. “Use results where possible. They’re the measure of success. Then, really take a look at yourself. Are you a people person? Good with numbers? Tech smart? Make a list of all the things you’re good at.” Group your qualities into categories, and refer to these when drawing up a cover letter.

Network the right way. Don’t bother using a mass-mailing website to look for a job. Austin insists your resume will just go into “the black hole of cyberspace.” Tap existing relationships. “Talk to everyone you know, tell them the kinds of things you’d like to do, and ask if they know someone who knows someone,” Austin says. “Don’t ask for referrals, just ask for people you can talk to. Ask senior people if they know anyone you can talk to about a job. It’s the best way to get on the radar, especially in this work environment.”

Be persistent. You may send out 10 or 20 resumes and only get one phone call back. Stay upbeat. “You cannot let anyone see you beaten down,” says Austin. “If you go on an interview, check in. Call. Send a handwritten note. Ask, ‘Is there anything else you need? I haven’t heard back from you.’ Don’t be annoying, but be of service.” Never let the silence or a no stop you. Move on to the next.

Keep your workout routine. Staying fit and looking after yourself will help you stay in shape both mentally and physically—which will help with your overall outlook. “You need to take a positive approach,” says Leslie Austin, Ph.D., an executive coach and corporate consultant based in New York City. “Being positive is a discipline. It will get you your next job. It will help manage your stress while looking. In a good economy, employers need workers. In a bad economy, they need good workers.” Like you. So, keep in tip-top shape. Exercise, eat well, take care of yourself and steer clear of pity parties.

Stay busy. Black clouds creep in when you stay in and crack open a bag of Oreos. Get up. Get moving. “Go volunteer,” says Austin. “It is very good for morale to help others. Plus, you never know how you will meet someone.” Potential career connections can hide anywhere – except at home in front of the TV.

photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock

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Can Soda Help You Lose Weight?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by admin

If your goal is to lose weight, no one will tell you to drink more soda. But Pepsi Special, a new fiber-infused soda from Pepsi-Cola, has been marketed as being able to block fat and reduce hunger. And some nutritionists are calling foul.

The sugar-free beverage contains wheat dextrin, a starch fiber extracted from processed wheat. Fiber—the indigestible part of plants—has been shown to steady blood sugar and help you feel full for longer. Additionally, a 2006 study from the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo found that rats that ate both dextrin and fat absorbed less fat than rats fed only fat.

However, added fiber doesn’t necessarily have the same weight-loss benefits as fiber you can get from whole foods, says Joanne Slavin, PhD., professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. According to her research, eating or drinking items with added fiber doesn’t decrease hunger, food cravings, or consumption throughout the day. “Whole foods make people feel fuller than beverages of the same fiber content—even when fat, carbohydrate, and calorie content is the same,” she says.

Another point of concern: The downside of a mass-marketed fiber-infused soda outweighs any potential benefits. “Fortifying foods that aren’t nutritional can be dangerous,” Slavin says. “It leads people to think that unhealthy foods are good for them.”

And make no mistake: Sodas are not healthy, even when sugar-free and infused with fiber. Consumption of soft drinks has been linked to cancer, diabetes, kidney problems, and accelerated aging. And that’s not just the sugar-laden kind. According to a 2011 study from the University of Texas at San Antonio, people who drink two diet sodas a day have waist circumferences five times longer on average than those who abstain from the soda.

The good news is you don’t need to rely on fibrous sodas for your fiber fix. Try these whole foods, instead:

Whole Grains
Refined grains have been stripped down, so they don’t have as much fiber as whole. Wheat bran packs the most fiber (3.5 grams of fiber per serving) and is the best at halting hunger, Slavin says. Buy it whole to add to baked goods or sprinkle over soups, cereals or salads.

Beans and Legumes
A cup of black beans or lentils will score you more than half of your daily fiber needs. They’re also high in protein, which can further help keep hunger at bay.

Fruits and Veggies
While all fruits and vegetables are fiber-filled, cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflowers) are your best bets when it comes to meeting your daily fiber goals. Just eat them raw (or minimally cooked) whenever possible, because heat can damage a plant’s fiber reserve and reduce its beneficial effects, Slavin says.

photo: Hemera/Thinkstock

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How to Lose Weight With Mindful Eating

Posted on November 14, 2012 by admin

Do you have a hard time sticking to a meal plan or a diet program? Stop scheduling and counting—listening to your body might be the only direction you need.

According to a new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eating mindfully—consuming food based on how hungry and full you feel throughout the day—can be just as effective for weight loss in adults with Type 2 diabetes as following a nutrition plan.

Study participants were divided into two treatment groups. One group followed a nutrition program that educated participants about healthy food choices, interpreting food labels, and rules for dining out. The second group did not receive specific nutrition objectives and was trained in a mindful approach to food selection and eating. People in both groups lost an average of 3 1/2 to 6 pounds and both reduced their blood sugar levels considerably after three months.

How does the mindful approach work? Lisa Young, PhD, RD and author of The Portion Teller, says a better understanding of your body can have a huge impact. “When you are more aware of your eating habits, you pay better attention to what, when, and why you are eating,” she says.

And the “why” may be the most important factor to consider. “Everyone has different reasons that cause them to overeat—some are bored, or sad, or happy, or dining in a group—but realizing what causes it can help you better monitor the habit,” Young says.

Want to incorporate a more mindful method to your day? Try these three tips.

Keep a Food Diary
By tracking what you consume, you can better highlight the reasons you eat and which parts of the day you are most hungry. Use the journal not only to note which kinds of foods and how much you eat, but also to track your level of hunger. “Eat just enough to keep yourself in the middle of the scale,” Young says. “If you are at a one [starving], you tend to not make healthy choices.”

Chew Slowly
Eating slower and taking smaller bites will also help you be more in tune with what your body needs, says Young. And don’t forget to make friends with your dishes! “Do not eating standing and do not eat out of the box—put all your food on a plate or in a bowl,” Young says. By pre-plating your food, it is easier to eyeball correct portions and the visual cue will assist your resolve at the end of your meal.

Snack Smart
Can’t help but nibble? Reach for Young’s snack of choice—popcorn. She likes it because it is a whole grain (the fiber helps you feel fuller longer), and you don’t have to stop at just one kernel. “Three cups of popcorn is a serving, so you get a lot more bang for your buck,” she says. Turn your next bowl into a superstar snack with these six yummy popcorn recipes.

Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

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Eat THIS, Lose Weight

Posted on November 6, 2012 by admin

The key to losing weight isn’t to deprive yourself until you hallucinate about pastries. In fact, your best bet at shedding pounds is to add certain foods to your diet. Turns out, eating high-protein meals and snacks could help you lose weight, according to a new review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers from the University of South Australia in Adelaide analyzed 24 past studies that compared reduced-calorie, high-protein, low-fat diets with reduced-calorie, standard-protein, low-fat diets. On average, over a 12-week period of time, dieters who ate more protein lost nearly 2 pounds more than those on a standard-protein diet. Plus, 3 out of 5 participants with a high-protein diet reported feeling more satisfied than those with a standard-protein diet.

It’s hard to say exactly why a high protein diet yields greater weight-loss results, according to Tom Wycherley, PhD, of the University of South Australia and lead author of the study. Two possibilities: First, it takes more energy for your body to process protein. Second, a higher protein diet keeps your metabolism humming by preserving your muscle mass and resting energy expenditure (the amount of calories you burn while at rest), says Wycherley. So protein may actually make your body work harder for you all throughout the day.

That second point—that protein helps maintain muscle mass—is why it’s especially important for women to up their intake, according to David Heber, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Risk Factor Obesity Program at UCLA. “Starting at about age 35-40, women start losing a significant amount of muscle as they become more sedentary,” he says. “When you lose muscle, you lose 14 calories per pound of energy that you would otherwise burn.” So the less muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn, and the more likely you are to pack on extra pounds.

Your stay-slim solution: Load up on more protein, obviously. Heber recommends eating 4 servings of 25 grams of protein per day (twice the amount recommended by the USDA!). So for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, make sure there’s a source of protein—like a 3.5-ounce can of tuna, 6 egg whites, or a cup of non-fat cottage cheese—on your plate. Plus, try this craving-crushing and appetite-suppressing trick: Eat 25 grams of protein a few hours before dinner. “It’s a good time to get rid of that hunger so that when you eat dinner you’re in better control,” says Heber.

The next time your stomach rumbles and dinner is hours in the future, reach for any of these nine protein-packed snack combos, recommended by Lisa M. Moskovitz, RD, CDN, CPT, owner of Manhattan-based practice Your New York Dietitian.

1 6oz container plain nonfat Greek Yogurt = 18g protein
1 tbsp chopped walnuts = 3g protein
1/4 cup Bear Naked granola = 4g protein

2 tbsp all-natural peanut butter = 9g protein
1 whole grain english muffin = 7g protein
1 part-skim string cheese = 7g protein

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese = 14g protein
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds = 5g protein
1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal = 6g protein

1 cup shelled edamame = 16g protein
1/2 Japanese salmon summer roll = 8g protein

1 bag Glenny’s Organic Soy Crisps = 12g protein
3 laughing cow light cheese wedges = 7g protein
1 ounce raw almonds = 6g protein

2 Hard-boiled egg = 14g protein
1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese = 14g protein

Lettuce Wraps with 2 laughing cow light cheese wedges = 5g protein
and 3 ounces of sliced turkey = 20g protein

1 scoop of whey protein = ~20g protein
1 cup of almond milk = 1g protein
1 tbsp peanut butter = 4g protein

3 ounces light chicken or tuna salad = 21g protein
1.5 ounce whole grain crackers = 4g protein

photos: Jupiterimages/Pixland/Thinkstock

More from WH:
37 Protein-Packed Recipes
The Best Protein Bars
Workout Secrets from Super-Fit Celebrities
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Can Breast-Feeding Help You Lose Baby Weight?

Posted on October 18, 2012 by admin

The conversation surrounding breast-feeding versus bottle-feeding usually pegs health benefits against convenience. A less common talking point? The reported pound-shedding effect of nursing your baby.

Model Alessandra Ambrosio, who had her second child in May, told US Weekly that she attributes her postpartum slim-down to Pilates, spinning, surfing, and…breast-feeding.

Then there’s celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, who had her second child four months ago and whose clients include lithe mamas Gwyneth Paltrow and Christy Turlington. Anderson recently told the Huffington Post that, when it comes to dropping baby weight, “My number one thing is that I’m a big breastfeeding advocate.” Of course, Anderson also advocates working out once your doctor gives you the green light.

So is breast-feeding the sure-fire way to fit back into your regular clothes? Yes and no. Research does support that breast-feeding can help new moms lose weight, says Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet. But it’s not the only way to slim down—we’ll get to that in a minute. First, here’s a science primer.

Why Breast Feeding Can Make You Slimmer
“As far as a caloric burn, it is true that breast-feeding moms do burn 300-500 calories a day,” Zuckerbrot says. But your body requires energy (read: calories) to create breast milk, she says, so doctors typically recommend women eat a few hundred extra calories a day. If a breast-feeding woman loses weight rapidly, it’s usually because she’s not taking in any extra calories.

But Zuckerbrot says that nursing isn’t the golden ticket to a pre-baby body. “A lot of women say it helps with a lot of the weight up front, but the last 10 pounds, if you’re breast-feeding, are very hard to lose.”

The Weight-Gain Equation
What else will help you can help new moms slim down? Not gaining too much weight during pregnancy. Doctors recommend gaining only 25 to 30 pounds, she says, and after childbirth, moms will lose 15 pounds (the weight of the baby, placenta, blood, and fluids).

“It’s understandable for women who only gain those 25 pounds to be back in their skinny jeans two months later because you can lose 10 pounds in two months, whether you’re breast-feeding or not,” Zuckerbrot says.

It’s a lot harder to lose baby weight when women use pregnancy as an opportunity to think that they can eat whatever they want, she says. For instance, if an expectant mom gains 50 or 60 pounds, she’ll have 35 to 45 pounds to lose after childbirth. That’s a tall order—and a poor health choice.

“That weight was not beneficial to a healthy pregnancy,” Zuckerbrot says. “If anything, gaining too much weight could put you at risk for gestational diabetes, an extra large baby—which can lead to complications during delivery—and preeclampsia.”

The New Mommy Eating Plan
Whether you choose to feed your baby by breast or bottle, chances are that you’ll be desperate for energy and maybe you’ll be looking to drop some extra weight. The R.D.’s RX? A high-fiber, high-protein diet.

By combining those two nutrients in every meal, you’ll be using food to stabilize your blood sugar, which will also help stabilize your mood and give you consistent energy throughout the day, she says.

Protein is essential to satiety, plus it will ensure that if you’re losing weight, you’re not losing muscle mass to boot. Since fiber is indigestible, it adds bulk to foods but has no calories. So you can eat a lot of food (specifically, nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and feel full without taking in a lot of calories. “If you’re feeling fuller longer, you’re doing less unnecessary snacking between meals and less overeating at the next meal,” Zuckerbrot says.

A note on water: Drinking plenty of water will also help you feel full, and it can help sidestep G.I. issues that might arise with eating a lot of fiber. Plus, breast milk is 50 percent water, so nursing moms need to make sure they’re not getting dehydrated.

Zuckerbrot provided these high-protein, high-fiber meal ideas. Enjoy!

Breakfast
• Parfait: Greek yogurt, high-fiber cereal (look for at least 8g of fiber per serving), cup of berries. (raspberries have 8g of fiber per cup, blueberries have 5)
• Omelet: Egg white omelet filled with your favorite veggies, topped with a little low-fat cheese, served with high-fiber English muffin, whole wheat toast, or high-fiber wrap

Lunch
• Soup: lentil soup with a whole-wheat roll, split pea soup with high-fiber crackers
• Sandwich: Whole grain bread with any lean protein (tuna salad, turkey, roast beef, grilled chicken, tofu)
• Salad: lettuce and vegetables with grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, or canned tuna

Snack (200 calories or less)
• 1 ounce of pistachios and an apple
• Yogurt parfait, if you didn’t eat it for breakfast
• Whole-wheat pita with tomato sauce and low-fat mozzarella
• Toast or crackers with peanut butter and sliced banana
• Pear with almond butter
• Cottage cheese with almonds and fruit
• Smoothie with tofu or yogurt, frozen berries, protein powder, ice

Dinner
Zuckerbrot recommends protein and vegetables—no carbs. “In the absence of carbohydrates is when your body burns fat for fuel,” she says, so shunning carbs at night will help with weight loss. “But for moms who are breast-feeding and the baby isn’t sleeping through the night, you might still want carbs at night so you have more energy.”

photo: Polka Dot/Thinkstock

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Lose Your Belly Fat

Posted on June 15, 2012 by admin

One of the most important ways to help lose belly fat is to reduce stress in your life, because stress causes cortisol levels to spike. Cohen, from Forbes, also delves into a number of other strategies that help reduce your cortisol levels, such as the following. To learn more, please see the featured Forbes article:

Getting enough sleep	Reducing or eliminating refined sugars from your diet	Slowing down your breathing
Doing short bursts of exercise (high-intensity interval training)	Supplementing with vitamin C	Eating fats―the good kinds such as the omega 3′s found in salmon, avocados and walnuts

The KEY Strategy for Reducing Belly Fat

Cohen certainly brings up some good points. Getting sufficient amounts of sleep, for example, not only helps normalize cortisol levels, it’s also important in order to optimize your circadian clock, which can have a profound impact on your metabolism and weight. As an example, a couple of years ago researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who slept for 8.5 hours lost 55 percent more body fat over the course of two weeks than dieters who only got 5.5 hours of sleep a night.ⁱⁱⁱ

But the master key really lies with your diet, followed closely by the type of exercise you engage in.

About 80 percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by what you eat, with the other 20 percent related to exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits such as sleep and stress reduction. What this means is that if your diet is based on sugar/fructose and processed junk food, your chances of getting flat, ripped abs, even if you work out religiously, are quite slim…

You simply will not see defined abs unless you reduce your overall body fat, and a poor diet cause your body to hold on to excess fat, despite all your exercise efforts. Cohen mentions two of the most important dietary factors in her article, namely:

Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet. This includes ALL forms of sugar and fructose, whether refined or “all-natural” such as agave or honey, as well as all grains (including organic ones), as they quickly break down to sugar in your body

Increasing healthful fats in your diet, such as healthy saturated fats and animal-based omega-3′s

One of the most pernicious dietary influences on your weight loss goals is fructose, which hides in so many processed foods and beverages, it can be near impossible to avoid unless you alter your shopping and cooking habits. By avoiding processed foods in general, and focusing instead on whole, preferably locally grown organic foods, cooked at home, you can circumvent one of the greatest dietary obstacles there is today.

For more details, I suggest you review my Optimized Nutrition Plan, which is a comprehensive and step-by-step guide to help you make health-promoting food- and lifestyle choices. This includes:

Limit your fructose to less than 25 grams per day, and, ideally to less than 15 grams per day, as you’re likely consuming ‘hidden’ fructose if you eat processed foods or sweetened beverages Limit or eliminate all processed foods Eliminate all gluten, and highly allergenic foods from your diet

Increase the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet, and consider juicing Eat at least one-third of your food uncooked (raw), or as much as you can manage Avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds

The Primary, and the Most Surprising, Dietary Offenders

Fructose, primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup hidden in processed foods and beverages is the primary contributing factor to widespread and seemingly out-of-control obesity. The top offenders in this category include:

Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars) Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks

Breads Juice drinks and fruit punches

Breakfast cereals Fast food and pre-packaged dinners

Prepackaged, processed lunches Coffee drinks

There are also a number of foods that are typically considered healthy that you might not suspect would contribute to your weight problem. But while considered “healthy” by the mainstream, these foods are actually loaded with sugar and/or fructose:

Yoghurt Condiments, sauces, and salad dressings

High-fructose fruits: apples, pears, grapes, watermelon, persimmon, and mango “Diet” foods and snacks

Dried fruits: raisins, figs, apricots Infant formula

Enhanced waters (such as VitaminWater) Jarred baby foods and teething biscuits

What’s the Best Fat-Busting Exercise?

Once you’ve addressed your diet, exercise can truly begin to work its magic on your physique, and help boost fat loss even further. The trick to achieve flat abs is to incorporate the correct types of exercises.

High-intensity interval exercises are at the core of my Peak Fitness routine. This short intense training protocol improves muscle energy utilization and expenditure due to its positive effects on increasing muscle mass and improving muscle fiber quality. Muscle tissue burns three to five times more energy than fat tissues, so as you gain muscle, your metabolic rate increases, which allows you to burn more calories, even when you’re sleeping. Further, several studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising continuously for an entire session.

In fact, you can actually lose more weight by reducing the amount of time you spend on exercise, because when doing high-intensity interval training you only need 20 minutes, two to three times a week. Any more and you’ll overdo it! You can get the details on how to properly perform these exercises in the video below.

Next: Exercises that Target Your Abs

While ab workouts specifically may not help you reduce body fat, they still provide important benefits and should not be overlooked. Your abdominals are part of your body’s 29 core muscles, which are located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.

When you build your ab muscles, it’s like developing an internal corset that holds your gut in. By doing so, you help stabilize your spine, vertebrae and discs, which in turn can significantly reduce back pain and make it easier for you to lift heavy items, twist and turn and perform the movements required for a full life. Having a strong abdominal wall is very important for optimal body movement and gets increasingly more important with advancing age.

A strong abdominal wall is also what will produce that six-pack look once you’ve lost sufficient amounts of subcutaneous fat. However, conventional crunches and sit-ups are not the most effective when it comes to creating flat, well-defined abs.

In order to effectively train your core muscles, you must incorporate a variety of stabilization, functional and traditional exercises. A study by Petrofsky (2007) actually put this to the test by researching how much muscle activity is generated by different abdominal exercises. The simple, traditional abdominal floor crunch was found to produce and recruit the least amount of muscle activity when subjects were attached to an electromyography (EMG) machine! That’s not to say that you should never perform a traditional abdominal crunch; but this particular exercise should be done as part of a varied core-strengthening routine.

This may include:

Traditional exercises, such as a standard crunch with rotation or a standing rotation with a light hand weight.

Functional exercises, including work on a stability ball.

Stabilizing exercises, such as lying on the floor and pulling your belly back toward your spine and holding that position while breathing deeply

Extension exercises, such as lying on your stomach with arms extended above your head. Then raising both arms and both legs, at the same time, off the floor. (Hold for a count of 5, or 5 breaths, and slowly return to the floor.)

Popular exercise programs that work your core muscles are widely available, and include virtually all the types of yoga and Pilates. But there’s yet another exercise you might not have thought of: push-ups! That’s right. Push-ups don’t just give you a stronger upper body, they also train your abdominals—as long as you’re doing them correctly. I recommend watching Darin Steen’s demonstration of the proper form below, but I’ve also included a summary of key points to remember:

Keep your body stiff and straight as a plank

Elbows at a 45-degree angle from your sides

Breathe in on the way down

Lower your body all the way down

Breathe out on the way up

If you’re looking to get rock-hard abs, remember that proper dietary choices is your first step, but from there a comprehensive fitness program and targeted ab exercises will help you achieve your goal.

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Next: Exercises that Target Your Abs